Turn The Page

Chapter 78

Meanwhile, parked in one of the empty lots he found, Louie stared at his phone, contemplating whether or not to call his sister, Martha. After a few minutes, he sighed. A few short rings later, Martha finally picked up. "Hi brother, long time no hear," she said to him. "Where are you?" Louie asked. "Where am I? Where are you? You haven't been returning my calls lately. Sabi ni Eunice busy ka daw. What are you doing that's making you so busy?" Martha asked in return. "Ate, are you home? If you are, can I drive there? Actually, can I spend the night over there at your house?" Louie asked again. "Oh," Martha said. She was caught off guard by all of Louie's questions. Louie heard the hesitation in her voice so he sighed. "Do you have anyone over?" He asked. "No, no. I'm just--what's going on, Lou? The last time you spent the night at my house  was when you had that early flight and was too lazy to go to your house. That was what, eight years ago?" Martha pointed out. "I just need company, but if busy ka okay lang--," Louie said, but Martha cut him off. "No. You know you're always welcome here. Ikaw lang tong hindi pumupunta dito. Sige na, drive here already. How long until you get here?" Martha asked. "About an hour?" Louie guessed. "Sige, do you need me to cook? Have you had dinner?" Martha asked again. "No, I haven't had anything to eat, but you don't have to cook. I'll go stop by somewhere. You need me to get you anything?" Louie asked. "No, I'm good. Sige na, mag-ingat ka," Martha replied. She could tell something was bothering her little brother. "Okay, see you in a few," Louie said before he and his sister ended the call.

Over an hour later, Louie finally arrived. He brought food with him and set it down on Martha's counter. "Wow, no drinks?" Martha said surprised. "Yeah, I have to be somewhere early tomorrow," Louie told her with a sigh. "Mas wow nga eh. Nothing stopped you from drinking, not even if you have to drive after," Martha commented. Louie gave her a forced smile. "Nagluto ka pa pala, sabi ko naman dadaan na lang ako ng pagkain," he said as he watched his sister place the cooked food on the table. "It's getting late, and I wasn't sure kung may madadaanan ka pa na mapagbibilhan," Martha replied. Louie nodded his head. "Thanks," he told her. "No problem. When did I ever invite you dito sa bahay ko ng hindi ka umalis na busog?" Martha reminded him. Then she smiled. She sighed as she looked her brother in the eyes. Then she opened the refrigerator. "No, no. I 'm not going to drink," Louie said when he realized Martha was taking two bottles of beer from her fridge. "I think just one would do you some good," she told him. "No thanks, ate. Ikaw na lang," he replied. "Not even wine?" Martha asked, surprised that her little brother was refusing all the alcoholic drinks she was offering him. "No, I'm good. Thanks," Louie replied. "Okay, brother. What's going on? First, nagpunta ka dito ng ganitong oras. Second, you didn't even demand for me to cook for you. Instead, you offered to bring food. You never bring me food. Third, you didn't bring drinks and refused sa mga alak na binibigay ko sayo. Anong nangyayari? Is this about your other family again? Are they causing you trouble or distress or ano man?" Martha asked worriedly as she sat in front of him on the dining table. Louie took a deep breath. Then he rested his back on the dining chair and stared at his sister. "It's about my daughter," Louie finally confessed. "Sabi ko na eh," Martha said. "Yung hindi ka nga gusto kilalanin, ni ayaw ka nga palapitin sa kanya," she remembered. "Actually," Louie began. Then he sighed again. "Pinayagan nako na makilala man lang sya as my late twin brother's kid. As a pamangkin," he informed her. "Pinayagan, meaning? At sino nagbigay ng permission sayo?" Martha asked. "Her mom. Her adoptive mom. Yung naiwanang asawa ng kakambal ko," Louie answered. "She allowed you to get to know her daughter?" Martha asked to confirm. "We had breakfast. She met up with me. Akala ko ang kikitain ko yung kapatid ko, si April. Pero hindi pala, she set it up as if I was meeting with April pero sya pala kikitain ko. She did it because baka daw hindi ako pumayag after our exchange the last time we talked at the hospital. Then she told me na Page, her daughter, possibly my daughter too, is really sick and didn't want to stress her out even more. Sabi nya feeling nya Page really wanted to meet me kahit as her tito man lang pero the kid decided na 'wag na lang para daw siguro hindi na makakadagdag sa iisipin ng nanay nya. June, that's her adoptive mother's name. June thought she was being selfish, so she changed her mind. That's why nakipagkita sya sakin to let me know that I'm free to come visit Page now sa hospital," Louie explained. Martha smiled. "Oh yun naman pala eh, so why do you look so bothered and stressed out? Please don't tell me mali lang pala yung nararamdaman ni June and it turns out that your daughter didn't really want to meet you kaya pinagtabuyan ka nanaman," Martha said hesitantly. "No, pero sana nga ganun na lang," Louie said. There was sadness in the tone of his voice. "What? Why the hell would you want that for yourself?" Martha asked confused. "Because that means Page would be awake," Louie said sadly. "What?" Martha asked as she shook her head. "I don't get it. What do you mean 'Page would be awake'?" She asked. "Ate, my daughter--she's in a coma," Louie informed her. Then he swallowed. "Oh Lou," Martha said. Then she stretched out her arms to reach for her brother's hand. Louie took a deep breath, trying so hard to control his emotions. "I came really early the next morning, excited and nervous at the same time. Finally, makikilala ko na sya. We spent hours waiting for her to wake up, but--but she didn't," he informed her. Martha swallowed as she frowned. "Ano daw nangyari?" She asked. Louie shook his head. "Nung naaksidente kami, Page was thrown out of the windshield of my sister's car. Naapektohan yung brain nya. Because of that accident, she developed seizures. I guess it was pretty serious and pretty often for her to be in a coma because of it," Louie explained. "Lou," was all Martha could say. She held on to her brother even more. Louie sighed and rubbed his face with both hands. "Her seizures caused her to be in a coma?" Martha asked to confirm. Louie nodded his head. "So, pano na daw yun? Is she still going to wake up?" Martha asked. Louie shook his head. "I don't know. The doctors don't know either," he replied. "I'm so sorry, Lou," Martha said as she tried her hardest to comfort her brother.